The Haunting of our Marimo
by AnimeKFiction
Summary: People say that life-changing things can't happen overnight. In this case, they're wrong. A lovely day graduates into a strange one when Zoro is nowhere to be found and instead there is a small boy in his place. The crew gets exposed to things they were never meant to, and the people haunting their swordsman's past don't make things any easier. De-aged!Zoro Alteredpast!Zoro
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, so it's me here, coming back to you with another One Piece story. Hope you enjoy it! I have a really fun plot planned out for this that I think you guys will like...maybe. :P**

 **Reminder that I don't own One Piece, only my OCs belong to me :)**

The Straw Hats stared. What were they seeing?

Robin had a thoughtful look on her face. She was analyzing the possibilities of how this had happened. She came up with a few theories, yet they had no solid evidence - as of yet.

Nami was in shock. When had this happened? Everything had been wonderful the day before, but now they were stuck inside the Galley early in the morning with a storm raging outside and this odd scene before them.

Chopper was worried. He stared at the scene like everyone else, but was freaking out. He had no idea how to cure something like this!

Usopp almost fainted. He didn't think anything like this would ever happen to them, much less be able to register what he was looking at.

Sanji had his jaw dropped. The cigarette that was held there had fallen out awhile ago. Question after question raced through his mind, leaving him to just stand there, looking stupidly at the current thing of interest.

Luffy was confused. He wondered how someone had pulled this off. He was a touch angry, if he found out who did this, he would probably kick their ass. This problem was getting in the way! Well, at least it wasn't too boring.

Zoro…no one was sure where he was.

They just knew that the kid in front of them looked a lot like him.

Hands balled in a fist, under his head as a pillow, lying on his side, in a deep slumber. It didn't help that the kid had long, green hair that reached his mid-back.

"What happened to him?" Chopper asked, standing stock still despite his doctor-influenced panic.

"I'm not sure. There are dangers on the Grand Line we still have to be wary of, it seems." Robin exclaimed as she tucked a lock of raven hair behind her ear.

"But…" Sanji started to say, then cut himself off and repeated for loss of better words, "what happened to him?"

"When did this even happen?" Nami asked, bringing a hand up to her head. She felt a headache blooming but promptly ignored it. Usopp shrugged harshly, still looking like he was in a trance.

Luffy stared at the child. "Do you think he'll still get lost?"

"Do we even know that's him?" Robin asked, equipped with a mysterious smile. "After all, it wouldn't be unlikely that he's an intruder."

With this, the child's eyes shot open instantaneously. The crew jumped, startled by this action. He sat up, quick as lightning, and looked up at them. As soon as he saw one pair of eyes on him, he dashed out of the room through Usopp's legs. The crew was startled and after they gathered their bearings, ran out one by one to chase the kid.

Luffy was the first one out the door. The kid was staring at the jolly rancher painted on the sail and flag while running. "Wait!" Luffy stretched out his hand to grab the back of the other's shirt as he jumped over the edge of the railing. Robin had walked out as well and was looking on curiously, and Chopper was next to her, clinging to the woman's leg.

The kid's shirt was caught by Luffy's hand, and he made a strangled-sounding noise, and was retracted along with Luffy's arm and made violent contact with the galley wall. Nami walked out while the contact was made, startling her and making her let out a tiny scream. Sanji then darted out, ready to protect his darling angels, but instead was met with the back of a hand to the face. Luffy's hand had bounced off of the wall, flying and hitting Sanji on the way back to its person. The blonde growled and lunged at the captain with his foot raised, when Usopp walked out and tripped to the ground, taking the chef with him.

While Sanji was fighting with Usopp, the others looked over the new arrival. He sat with his back up against the wall, head down so his hair covered his eyes, and hands clenched into fists so tight that his knuckles were white. It seemed like he was waiting for something. Just as Luffy opened his mouth to greet him, and Chopper opened his to ask if he was okay, the child broke the silence.

"Just hurry up."

"What?" Luffy asked with his head tilted and brow furrowed. Hurry up with what?

"Just hurry up and kill me already."

The crew stopped short at that sentence. Sanji and Usopp froze in comical mid-fight positions and lowered their defense. Luffy spoke up once more. "Why?"

"You're pirates, right? Just kill me now and get it over with."

'Ah, so it's about the common stereotype,' Robin thought, or would have until she heard what he said next. "It's better than going back there." He emphasized the word with so much disdain, she just had to ask.

"Where is it you would not like to be?"

The kid froze, and everyone glanced at the raven-haired woman for clarification. She cleared her throat and repeated what he had said. Instead of giving a straight answer, however, he answered with another question, one they did not expect to hear.

"You don't know where I came from?"

With a collection of "No"s and head shakes, the child visibly relaxed, but not fully. "But…still…hurry up already."

"What?" Luffy asked again, purely confused. Robin frowned. "He still thinks that we'll kill him, Sencho-san."

"We won't kill you," Nami said hurriedly, crossing her arms. Usopp nodded his head in agreement. Sanji sighed and lit up a new cigarette. The kid hesitated.

"You…won't?"

"No way!" Luffy yelled, sticking his tongue out. Robin blinked quizzically at the kid while he did that.

"If you don't mind me asking, who are you?" She had her theories, but wouldn't jump to conclusions unless it was necessary.

The child's mouth opened slightly, like his jaw dropped, but it was as if he wasn't deserving of a jaw-drop. "Y-you want to know my name?" He lifted his head up a little bit, allowing his eyes to still be shadowed but they could still see the sharp silver color they were.

Robin nodded. "Yes, that would be wonderful."

After a brief silence, the kid brushed the hair out of his face and spoke.

"I'm Zoro."


	2. Chapter 1 (and a half)

**WOW I feel REALLY bad I'm so sorry I haven't posted in a while. I'm going through massive writers block and it doesn't help that school started. Again, I'm really sorry, but I appreciate all your support! It really means a lot to me! Here is another chapter, finally (even though it isn't that long and will most likely only raise more questions) :D**

Zoro woke to sounds of talking. There were…four, no…six people in the same room as him. He didn't recognize the voices…must be new recruits. Yeah, that was probably it.

When all activity in the room stopped, Zoro evened out his breathing once again, creating the allusion he was asleep.

"What happened to him?" He heard a high-pitched voice say. Although it was higher, he could tell it was male, as it didn't seem like a girl's. He continued to feign sleep.

"I'm not sure. There are still dangers on the Grand Line that we have to be wary of, it seems." That was a woman's voice. It sounded mysterious, and reminded him of the secretary. He almost stopped breathing at the memory but he maintained the posture.

"But…" there was a slight pause, and then the voice continued. " …what happened to him?" This was definitely a male voice, and he was obviously confused. Zoro wondered who they were talking about. They sounded concerned, so it must be their friend. It wasn't his problem, and he didn't need to help, so he didn't bother waking up.

"When did this even happen?" This was definitely a girl's voice. It sounded a bit breathy, so he concluded that she was frustrated. He didn't care though, so he still lay there, unmoving.

"Do you think he'll still get lost?" This was said in a curious voice, but had a worried undertone to it. This was male, as far as Zoro could tell. He was obviously worried for whoever they were talking about, but was covering it up with an uncaring facade. Interesting…but not interesting enough to see who was the subject of their conversation.

"Do we even know that's him?" the mysterious voice spoke again. "After all, it wouldn't be unlikely that he's an intruder."

Now this made Zoro startled. Not scared - he couldn't afford to be scared. He jumped and tore his eyes open, and jumped once again at seeing the six different pairs of eyes resting on him. He didn't spend time on the fact that one of them was a reindeer, and that the person they were worried about was likely him. He just ran.

The exit was clear, so he dashed for it, not caring if he was doing harm to anyone. He jumped over the railing down to the second tier of the ship, and his train of thought stopped short at the sight of the pirate flag waving from atop the mast. He had not hitched a ride on a pirate ship, he was 100% sure of that. So how did he get on this one?

"Wait!" A voice - the worried one from before - called as Zoro jumped the second railing and almost fell into the ocean. A hand grabbed the back of his shirt, choking him, and making him wonder how he had gotten behind him so fast. He got the answer in a flash, thinking someone had a Devil Fruit based on speed. However, when he started flying backwards, he knew that wasn't the case.

As he crashed against the wall, he ignored the commotion around him as he thought. He was on a pirate ship, which meant that he was either going to die or be enslaved. He'd been the latter for his entire life, so there was only one option he would prefer. Besides, even though they were pirates, their enslavement would be better than the other. He was tense, waiting to see what they say his fate will be. He got impatient.

"Just hurry up."

"What?" This was the worried one again - the one with the Devil Fruit. Zoro was confused. What did he mean, 'what'?

"Just hurry up and kill me already."

"Why?" He asked, and Zoro was confused. 'Why?'? What is with these pirates? Don't they usually jump at the chance to kill or enslave someone? Then again, he shouldn't be one to jump to conclusions based on one's profession.

"You're pirates, right? Just kill me now and get it over with." It's better than going back there, he added in his thoughts,or thought he did until he heard the mysterious woman ask:

"Where is it you would not like to be?"

Zoro froze at that while there was the collective sound of people turning their heads. As the woman repeated what he had said, Zoro took no mind to how they were reacting. Hope filled him to the core, and he was confused yet confident when he voiced his question.

"You don't know where I came from?"

The chorus of denial from the group almost made him smile. At least I won't go back, Zoro thought. He relaxed much more than he had in awhile, but didn't let his guard down - not at all."But…still…hurry up already."

"What?" The question came again, and Zoro was wondering if this guy was right in the head. Then the mysterious girl spoke. "He still thinks we'll kill him, Sencho-san."

The kid was a bit startled at this revelation. That guy is the captain?

"We won't kill you," the other girl said hurriedly, and Zoro couldn't help but think that something bad had happened to her involving something like this. There was the sound of a lighter sparking and emitting a flame, then quickly being put out along with a puff of smoke.

"You…won't?"

"No way!" The captain yelled. Zoro internally sighed. Then the mysterious woman opened her mouth again.

"If you don't mind me asking, who are you?"

Zoro was purely shocked. He tried to conceal this emotion, but his mouth betrayed him. They didn't know who he was? Even then, they wanted to know who he was? "Y-you want to know my name?" Zoro cursed himself for stuttering but didn't really care at the moment. He lifted his head up a little bit, allowing his eyes to still be shadowed.

The mysterious woman answered. "Yes, that would be wonderful."

He thought about it. They weren't lying - that was something he could tell easily. They really did want to know who he was, didn't they? Yet, what if they were faking? That isn't necessarily the same as lying…maybe he was over-thinking this. They seemed truly concerned and curious…as was he. Zoro wanted to know who exactly these pirates were.

And so, with that, he shook his hair out of his eyes with one swift movement, and looked up at the group of strange people in front of him.

"I'm Zoro."


End file.
